How to Recycle Your Used Electronics

thedailygreen.com — From Apple iPods to HP Ink-Jet Printer Cartridges, Recycling Your e-Waste Made Easy

Most people love getting new gadgets for the holidays, whether they are tech-savvy professionals or folks who never figured out how to program their VCRs or set up a MySpace page.

This year there are more possibilities than ever to find under the tree, from the revolutionary, highly accessible Wii Nintendo console to sophisticated cell phones that are connecting people in new ways. Even underprivileged children around the world are now receiving discount laptops in record numbers, hopefully helping to breach the digital divide.

But the burgeoning market of electronics and accelerating pace of technology have meant increased environmental impact. This is perhaps never more true than after the holidays, when people clean out their old gear in favor of the new shiny toys and appliances they have just received, or purchased through gifts, bonuses or seasonal sales. With the 2009 change in TV transmissions around the corner, even more e-waste is being generated. Plus, consider that the average cell phone user changes handsets every 18 months.

The good news is awareness of the potential ecological impact is also rising, and there are ways to make a difference, especially at the end of your product's life.

It's no small step, considering that 20 to 50 million tons of electronics waste (often called e-waste) is discarded globally every year, according to Greenpeace. If all that e-rubbish were put into containers on a train it would go once around the world! E-waste is the fastest growing component of the municipal solid waste stream, and currently makes up five percent of all municipal solid waste.

In the past, no one thought of recycling computers and other electronics. The only option was tossing them on the curb. But these days engineers have taken notice that electronics usually contain a wealth of valuable materials. Plus, recycling almost always means lower net carbon emissions, which is something everyone is now paying closer attention to because of global warming. Finally, electronics are made with a sizable amount of lead, cadmium, brominated fire retardants and plastics that can leach toxic breakdown products — that's stuff no one wants in their water supply!

The Consumer Electronics Association, which represents electronics manufacturers, encourages people to recycle their e-waste, and has set up a handy Website to make the process simple. Log on to mygreenelectronics.org, where you can search for local recycling drop-off points by zip code and product category. You'll also find tips and info on electronics recycling, and a cool energy calculator that will show you how much juice each product uses.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/computer-recycling-electronics-recycling-461219

NFL Plans to Offset Super Bowl's Carbon Footprint

All Things Considered, December 26, 2007 · Jack Groh, environmental program director for the National Football League, talks with Melissa Block about the league's plan to offset the carbon footprint of the next Super Bowl.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17625113

Chicago’s Alleys Turning Green

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5512
A new initiative will help make Chicago’s 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) of alleyways more sustainable. The miniature streets behind homes and buildings, used mainly for garbage collection and parking access, keep main roads cleaner and less congested but are prone to flooding. The city’s innovative Green Alley Program promotes improved construction techniques and materials that can improve drainage, reduce runoff, and relieve strain on the city’s aging sewer system.

Model “green” alleyways in Chicago have been re-surfaced with permeable or porous pavement, a relatively new technology that allows water to seep through asphalt, concrete, stone, or plastic. After filtering through a stone bed, the water can then recharge local water tables, instead of becoming polluted runoff that flows off the road into streams and rivers. The new alley surfaces are made with recycled material and light-colored pavement that reflects heat, keeping them cool on hot days and reducing the “urban heat effect.” The alleys also use energy-saving overhead lighting that directs light downward to minimize light pollution.

Retrofitting the alleys to be more green can cost two to three times as much as the conventional method. But the alternative option—connecting Chicago’s alleys to the city’s sewer system—would be equally expensive, with fewer benefits, according to The Chicago Green Alley Handbook. There are indications that permeable paving can be replaced less frequently than the older alleyways and will save residents the costs that come with frequently flooded basements.

Chicago has more miles of alleyways than any other city in the world—enough to pave five midsize airports. Experts say the new initiative is one of the most ambitious public street-retrofitting projects in the nation. “The alley is not only functional, but an educational green landscape that is helping a city experiment with design and different ways to handle water,” Michael David Martin of Iowa State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture told the Tribune. Chicago expects to have 46 green alleyways completed by the end of the year.

This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at aherro [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org with your questions, comments, and story ideas.

World's Largest Green Shopping Destination Opens

http://www.evo.com/
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the latest entry into green online shopping - www.EVO.com - announced they are open for business.

The idea is to take online green shopping to an expanded level, providing shoppers with a wider selection of green gift items via the web. Using special software, the website has prescreened millions of products for their "green" attributes and only offers products that earn an EVO rating of one to five leaves. The company consulted with leaders in the sustainability field to establish the rating system. The site features more than 100,000 green products and services from 1,200 retailers. There's something for almost everyone.